Reunite
by Libra Sorceress
Summary: Her eyes widened. The glass smashed against the floor. The picture clattered to the ground. And the storm raged on.
1. Chapter 1

The lighting flashed.

The thunder thudded.

The rain hammered down upon her windowsill.

Sakura lay, huddled in her bed, the sheets drawn close around her.

She hated storms. She hated the blindness, the dulling of senses that came with the constant noise and enveloping darkness.

Standing, she wandered to the kitchen, her light gown clinging softly to her body as she moved.

A glass of water, and some loud music. That sounded about right.

Switching on the radio, she sat at her kitchen table, absentmindedly picking up an apple and twirling it in her hands.

She was eighteen years old. Eighteen.

She had grown a lot in the last few years. Her figure was soft, slender, but with the undeniable curves of a woman. Her hair had grown slightly, reaching down to around halfway down her back. She really ought to ask Ino to cut it for her again. It still was a defining bubblegum pink, reflecting her name. Her large, luminous green eyes stood out in her face, balancing with the high cheekbones and full lips. Her high forehead was framed by her fringe, falling either side of her face, which she normally tied back with her hitai-ite, or a headband of some description.

How many years had it been now, since… since _he _had left?

She looked at the picture which she had stuck to the wall. Team seven. Kakashi, Naruto, her and…

Sasuke.

She had expected her feelings to have faded with time. But no. She guessed it was true what they said. The first love hits you hardest.

Ah well. Water under the bridge. Maybe… maybe one day she would be free.

Yeah right.

She had become a medical nin since then, a feat she was proud of. There weren't really enough of them, and she had an impressive control over her chakra – impressive enough that she could have been exceptional at any field she put her mind to. She chose medical, because it felt good. Helping people. Saving lives. Seeing the smiles as their loved ones were brought back from the brink of death. She was proud to be a part of that.

At least... mostly part of that. But the other part didn't matter.

She lifted the photo gingerly off the wall, holding it delicately in her hands, running her finger over his image.

Rising, sighing, she replaced the apple in the fruit bowl, and moved to the tap.

Grasping in the cupboard above the sink, she pulled out a glass. With slow, leisurely movements, she turned the dial and slipped the glass under to catch the water falling out.

_Someone was in the house._

Sharply, she turned off the tap. She closed her eyes, breathing slowly, her heart thumping.

_Where were they?_

Thump thump thump.

There was an intake of breath behind her.

Her eyes snapped open, and she whirled, her fist raised and her chakra bubbling inside her.

Her eyes widened.

The glass smashed against the floor.

The picture clattered to the ground.

And the storm raged on.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 – Involvement

Naruto swore under his breath.

The bastard.

He leapt from concealment, and hit the ground hard, running the second he made contact.

It wasn't so different from Konoha. It looked pretty similar.

Apart from the trees.

Around Konoha, there was life everywhere. Flowers, grass, trees, people.

Not in Sound.

Here, there were trees. Oh yes, there were plants. But they held no life. Naruto shivered. He felt… the trees hated each other. Bitter greens assaulted him, not the lush, ripe feel of the plants that hailed him from his home.

Sakura would have hated this place.

At that thought, he almost slowed, but he gritted his teeth and continued on.

It had been one week. One whole week since Sakura had gone missing.

He had gone to her house the next morning. When she hadn't answered the door, he had cautiously pushed it open. Alarm bells had rung in his head. The Sakura he knew locked the door at night, and anyway would have bashed his head in for entering without her permission. He walked through the empty apartment, his dread growing with each step he took. And when he had entered the tiny kitchen, he had been assaulted by a smell. The scent of copper.

There was shattered glass on the floor.

And blood. There was a pool of blood.

His rage gave him strength this night. He killed the guards of Sound without a second thought. This was not the Naruto they all knew. He had been hardened by the loss of someone he loved, and he was not going to let anything stand in the way while he tried to save them.

Which is exactly why he was where he was. In Sound.

After the one person he thought – he _hoped _– would help him, would be able to help him, save her.

Tsunade had already sent out God knows how many ANBU squads after her missing pupil.

It had not done one shred of good. They had all gone missing after the third day, presumed dead.

Kakashi… Kakashi would help Naruto. But he would want it officialised. Not without Tsunade's permission. And it was even a toss-up if Naruto had shared with him his purpose for his destination.

Gathering his chakra in his heels, Naruto leapt, lightly scaling the wall.

The man on the bed whipped around, hand reaching under the pillow for his kunai.

His dark hair gleamed. His obsidian orbs flashed with hate, then widened in surprise as he recognised the man in his room.

"Naruto," he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Naruto said nothing. He just stared at the man, his cerulean eyes still.

The man on the bed smirked. He recognised the signs. Naruto's pupils were dilating, turning into slits as he desperately tried to control it.

"Come to kill me, Naruto?" he whispered, gripping the kunai tighter. "You know you don't have a chance."

That sparked a reaction. Naruto growled, the whiskers on his cheeks beginning to recede.

"I'm not here for you, bastard," he spat.

The man on the bed raised a charcoal eyebrow, completely detached. "Hn. So why are you here?" he asked, sounding disinterested.

"Sakura."

"What about her?" he asked, his tone now definitely bored.

"She's missing, Sasuke."

Sasuke's heart missed a beat. His outward composure did not change at all, though.

"And why should I care? She's not here, if that's what you were thinking. I have no interest in a pink-haired weakling, and I highly doubt Orochimaru would need such a cumbersome article anyway," he statedcalmly.

But, unbidden, visions of the pink-haired kunoichi slipped through his mind. The way her emerald orbs lightened when she smiled, the way she had protected him in the forest during the Chuunin exams even though she was weak.

Hn. So what?

Naruto looked shocked. After all she had done for him, and he still didn't care?! Sure, he had broken his bonds, but...

Naruto's hope of saving Sakura crashed.

"You bastard," he whispered. "You actually don't give a shit, do you?"

Sasuke kept his face impassive. "I've broken my bonds."

"Broken your bonds my arse!" Naruto spat. He was so sick of that phrase. "Fuck, teme! You know she cared for you! And you still treat her like she's worth nothing! You always did! After all she did for you, after all she put up with from you, and you never said so much as thank you!"

Sasuke's eyes flickered. Naruto was wrong. He had said thank you.

Once.

"Your problems are no concern of mine," he said flatly, "And nor are your petty grudges. If you leave now, quietly, without making a scene, I will let you get away, and tell none of your visit." He paused, and a thought ran through his mind. "How did you find Sound? And how did you get in here undetected, anyway?"

Naruto smirked. "Undetected? Your guards are dead, teme. And I used the Kyuubi. Seems it's tracking powers are quite strong, particularly when harnessed by myself."

Sasuke took a second to absorb this information. Naruto had killed that many elites, huh? Seems he was stronger.

"I am not going to fight you tonight," he said evenly. "Just leave. Sakura's fate is no concern of mine."

Naruto's shoulders slumped. He turned, quickly, so Sasuke wouldn't see the tears brimming in his eyes.

"You were my last hope," he said quietly. "What if she is dead, Sasuke? What if I can't save her in time? Will you be able to live with the image of her, broken, empty?"

"Yes," said Sasuke coldly.

Naruto nodded. "I see that now. Here," he said bitterly, chucking something blindly over his shoulder.

Sasuke caught the wrapped object without blinking. "What is this?"

"She would have wanted you to have it," Naruto answered blankly. "I'll see you around, Sasuke."

And with that, he leapt out of the still-open window, hitting the ground with a soft thump, and running away into the night.

Sasuke turned the package over in his hands. With a slight hesitation, he ripped off the cloth cover.

What he saw made his heart stop.

It was the old picture of them. Team seven, in the height of their training.

Kakashi. Naruto. Him. And Sakura.

But something was off with Sakura's image. He frowned, as he ran his fingers over her form.

There was… a drop of something…

His eyes widened in realisation.

There was blood. Sakura's blood.

…

Naruto waited until he was safely in the shelter of the trees, before he let his emotions get the better of him.

He howled to the sky, the tears streaming down his face.

Sakura… no!

His body shook, as the beast within him longed to escape, to go back and cut Sasuke down for what he had done, what he had said, what he had refused.

Naruto was not angry. Anger would have required some form of rational thought. He was beyond it.

He shook his head, feeling a growl escape his throat, and shook his head again, trying desperately to regain control.

He howled again, throwing back his head, the tears coursing down his cheeks, digging his nails into his scalp, dragging them until he drew blood.

She was going to die.

Naruto wasn't strong enough. Not by himself. And God knows how many had already gone missing on the quest to restore his missing comrade. His missing friend…

And now, the last resort, his final chance…

Had denied him.

He raised his face to the heavens and howled again, feeling the beast stir within him at his terrible need for violence, for pain.

A foot nudged his leg.

"Fuck, dobe, get a grip! You'll wake the whole village up. How are we gonna get away without them noticing if you can't shut up for five seconds?!"

Naruto opened his anguished cerulean eyes, looking up in astonishment.

"Sa… Sasuke?"

"What about it?" he said ungraciously. "I owe her for the time in the Chuunin exams. It's nothing more than that."

He kicked Naruto's leg again.

"Hey! Cut it out!"

"Well get a move on, then," Sasuke snapped. "Do you want Sakura to die while I'm waiting for you to get your useless arse in gear?!"

Naruto scrambled to his feet. Sasuke surveyed him for a second.

"Hn."

And he strode off into the forest, Naruto on his heels.

…

_Drip… drip… drip…_

Hazy jade eyes opened, blinking slowly.

_Huh? Where… where am I?_

Pink strands fell in front of her slumped face. Her wrists were in chains, attached firmly to the stone wall.

She was on her knees.

_How… how did I get here?_

_Where is 'here'?_

She looked around the tiny room. The tiny cell.

A door opened.

She felt a sharp pain, a light thwacking sound, behind her head, her heart sinking at the sickening familiarity. She sent a flood of chakra to the spot, hoping it could sustain her for long enough...

Sakura whipped her head around, trying to close in on the person beside her.

But before she could get a good look, her vision faded once again, and she slumped in the chains that bound her.

The door closed behind her limp form.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 - Reinforcements

Naruto twiddled his thumbs in front of the fire.

Sasuke sat, perfectly still, staring into the flames.

"So…"

"Shut up."

Fair enough. He probably didn't feel like talking. He didn't want to be on this mission anyway.

Sasuke stood, his hand flying to the handle of his katana, and Naruto yelped like a puppy.

"Hush dobe," Sasuke said impatiently, activating his Sharingan. "Someone's out there."

Naruto went silent, his hand also feeling for his weapon.

"It's just me," came a voice from the shadows.

"Who are you?" Sasuke snarled.

"Naruto knows me," came the voice of the mysterious person again.

"But I don't," said Sasuke.

"Well, that's not true. You and I have met once or twice. And I'm sure Dickless has mentioned me."

Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's tense arm. "It's just Sai."

Sasuke grunted, sliding the katana back into the scabbard. "My replacement."

"Replacement? I did a better job than you, you two-timing arsehole," Sai said… cheerfully.

Sasuke growled.

"What do you want, Sai?" Naruto asked, as Sai came forward to face the two of them.

Sai rolled his eyes, and smiled his fake smile. "I followed you from Konoha, Dickless. I figured that you would be going to retrieve your former teammate. You're also shit at this 'silent, secret' mission lark, you do know that, right? How you every made it to chunin is beyond me, let alone jounin. You leave a trail wide enough for a genin to follow when you try to use the Kyuubi. You're lucky you had me to tidy up behind you, or you would have been dragged back to Konoha by now."

"Shut up, Sai!" Naruto yelled, his temper boiling, as he stood, fist raised.

"Dobe, do you recall me mentioning something about volume control?" Sasuke asked neutrally.

Naruto sat back down, regarding Sai through narrowed eyes. "Yeah, so I came after Sakura. What's it to you?" he asked ungraciously.

There was a silence.

"I want to help you rescue Ugly," Sai said seriously.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think we need your help?"

Naruto didn't miss the way he used the plural. As if they were a team again.

"You two are weak on your own," said Sai simply. "And besides…" he looked down at his feet, clearly uncomfortable.

"Yes?" said Sasuke impatiently.

"Sakura helped me finish my picture book," said Sai, his tone puzzled. "I want to help rescue her."

"Well," came another voice, "I guess that makes it four of us."

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "God, Naruto! Did you make a general announcement of your destination?! Seems like everyone knows where to find you," he said snippily.

"No need to be so rude," said Kakashi calmly, emerging from the woods. "Naruto, why didn't you tell me what you had planned?"

Naruto looked down. "I knew you would disapprove," he mumbled.

"Whether I disapprove or not does not matter; whether I agree or not is the true concern."

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei,"

"It's alright," Kakashi said. He looked at the little group, his visible eyebrow raising. "Sasuke, what brings you to our neck of the woods? Could it be that you have decided to finally abandon the poedophilic snake?"

Naruto snickered.

"I owe it to Sakura," Sasuke said, his voice deadbeat. "And I believe _you_ came to find _me_, not the other way around. You have Naruto to thank for my presence. Do not flatter yourselves with the illusion that I would want to return to your pathetic little existence!"

"I never did," said Kakashi calmly. "Do you two have a plan, or were you planning on running around until you tripped over her?"

That stopped Sasuke and Naruto up short. Neither of them had considered this. Naruto in his angry despair, and Sasuke in his ignorance.

"I thought not," Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "This could be harder than I thought."

"What, no suggestions, _sensei?"_ Sasuke hissed, a smirk on his darkly handsome face.

"Nope," said Kakashi, oblivious to the sarcasm in his ex-pupil's voice. "Not as yet."

"I do," said Sai quietly.

The trio swung their heads to face the silent artist. He stood, a blank expression on his pale face, staring at the three of them.

"What, has my replacement finally found his tongue?" Sasuke asked with contempt, his lip curling.

"Oh, grow up, bastard," Naruto snapped at him. "Any suggestion is worth it. What have you got for us, Sai?"

Sai lifted out his sketch book, and ripped a page out without hesitating.

"Sakura gave this to me," he said, fishing a small bag of powder from a pouch round his belt. "She got it on one of her missions, from a powerful priestess in the North. She said that if you sprinkled it onto a likeness of someone or something you are trying to find, it should give you some idea of the direction. I don't know how, or even if, it works though. It's could be a carnival trick, for all I know," he said, his tone still expressionless.

Naruto cocked his head to one side. "Eh?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sounds a bit far-fetched to me. What else have you got in your little picture-book, replacement?"

Sasuke didn't even have time to move before Sai threw a punch in his direction. He stumbled back, reeling from the shock, his hand clutched to his cheek. It had been years since he had been caught off-guard.

"That wasn't very nice," said Sai calmly. "This book is very important to me; I would appreciate it if you showed some respect to both me and my possessions."

"You'll pay for that," Sasuke spat, his eyes shooting daggers.

"Hush, Sasuke!" Kakashi barked. "If you two can't get on, then just stay away from each other! Shouldn't we at least see if this works, before you rip out his throat?!"

Sasuke fell back, crossing his arms and letting out a small "Hn."

"There's just one problem," Sai said in his soft voice.

Everyone looked at him, and his expression was… helpless. Dejected.

"I can't draw Sakura. Not by herself."

"So, the only talent you may possess, and you can't even do that right?" Sasuke sneered.

Sai smiled at him, that empty smile. "You wouldn't understand," he said. "Art shows how people are, representations, likenesses. Sakura is not meant to be alone. Therefore I cannot draw her alone. She's too full for a page; she needs another thing to dampen her down, or she doesn't fit."

Sasuke raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Pathetic."

Sai shrugged. "Perhaps there was a time when I could have done it," he said evenly, his dark eyes keenly observing the Uchiha. "One time when she was broken and alone. Then, I believe, I would be able to fit her on a page. But she has too many people who care for her now, and has forgotten the one who would hurt her."

Sasuke looked away, teeth clenched, holding his composure. Snarky little upstart replacement!

"All this bickering will get us nowhere," Kakashi interjected. "All that matters is that we try, whether or not it works. Do you really want to risk Sakura's life on your petty arguing?" his voice was calm, clinical, but accusing in it's blankness.

…

Sakura raised her head, looking around blearily.

_What… what happened? I… I remember…_

She blinked sharply, trying to get things into focus.

_I'm in a cell. And it's dark. And cold. _She shivered, drawing her arms in through the chains to rub her forearms. She paused, feeling how heavy they were.

_My chakra! It's… it's so low! It should have recuperated while I was unconscious! What the…_

A door opened. Sakura froze rigid, as a shaft of light fell across her, blinding her momentarily. Her eyes were not used to the light after so many days of darkness.

"Ah," said a voice. "You're finally awake. I'm glad," he continued, "Because it's not nearly so much fun if you're out cold."

Her dim eyes lighted across something he held in his hand. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart sped up.

A whip.

"You see," the man continued, "I have to keep you chakra down. I hope you understand. This hurts me more than it hurts you," he said, mock regret in his voice.

She followed his movements as he raised the weapon, and closed her eyes. The muscles in her back tensed. She gritted her teeth together, bracing herself for the impact.

And a white hot flame flashed across her skin.

…

She raised her head, hoping, praying, it was finally over.

The man dropped the strip of leather in his hand.

He strode to the other side of the room, and pulled the door to her cell open.

"Feel free to heal yourself," he smirked, closing the way to freedom behind him.

Alone at last in the tiny dark room, Sakura could feel the heavy dampness radiating from the clothes on her back. Her hot blood had run, and would continue to, making the material a greater burden, although keeping her warm in the cold cell.

She closed her eyes wearily, and, once again, emptied her chakra on the energy-consuming task of healing.

She would die here. Empty, alone, and abandoned, she would die here. They would not find her. Not in time. And if they did, then they would die too. Killed by the monsters who held her prisoner.

She was scared.

Because Sakura Haruno was not ready to die yet. She did not want to die yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 - Changes

Sai sat under a tree in the flickering half-light of the fire, his usually emotionless face showing frustration as he ripped page after page out of his pint-sized sketchbook. Kakashi had his book in his hands, and was pretending to read; all the while, he was covertly watching Sasuke and Naruto.

The air between the once good friends was tense; you could have cut through it with a knife. Sasuke sat, staring into the fire, his face empty but his body rigid. Naruto also stared at the flames, twiddling his fingers, jumping every time a branch cracked.

"So…" Naruto struggled to start a conversation. "What have you been doing since the last time we saw you?"

"Hn."

"Ok, you don't have to answer that." Naruto wrinkled his brow. "Do you want to hear how we've been doing?"

"Hn. Whatever; I don't care."

"I'll take that as a yes," Naruto said, a grin suddenly appearing on his face. "You haven't changed at all, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Ok, well, I'm stronger," Naruto said, pride reflected in his voice. "The Kyuubi's been giving me trouble, but I can handle it."

Sasuke almost raised an eyebrow at this. Naruto was talking about the lethal demon locked inside him as if it were a badly behaved puppy.

"And Kakashi's been reading more of those stupid books. I noticed that the name of the heroine changed to Sakura briefly. Old man Jiraiya, who writes them, rather abruptly changed it back. I assume it had something to do with Tsunade."

"You've read those books?" Sasuke asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto's face turned red. "Well, glanced, more like," he babbled. "And the man is my sensei, it's practically my duty-"

"Shut up, dobe, and tell me something more important." Although he feigned indifference, Sasuke really was curious about what had happened to his old teammates. How much had changed since he had left them?

Naruto laughed, a short, nervous laugh, before continuing. "Well, as you can see, Sai is a new member of Team 7. He was from an underground organisation called ROOT, where they basically take out your heart and turn you into a robot-"

"Better a robot than a eunuch, dickless," Sai called.

Naruto's fists clenched, and he chucked a shoe in Sai's direction.

Sai gave him an amused look. "Throwing clothes at me? What are you, five?"

"Anyway," Naruto said, pointedly ignoring Sai, "Where was I?"

"You haven't told me anything about Sakura yet," Sasuke reminded him, sighing. Why exactly did he have to hear about his deadbeat team anyway? The conversation was quickly becoming boring. They meant nothing to him anymore. Broken bonds.

Naruto dropped his face, and bit his lip in an uncharacteristic display of unease.

"Well," he began, "Sakura is…" he looked to Kakashi for help.

Kakashi gave him a sad look. "He should know," he said simply.

Naruto nodded, and took a deep breath, focusing Sasuke with a sharp look.

"Sakura is a very strong kunoichi," he began evasively. "Tsunade herself taught her. She has incredible physical strength, and she is the second best medic in all of Konoha, second only to the Hokage herself. Some say she even surpasses her. Whenever there's a medical mission, the higher-ups always request Sakura, but unless it's majorly important, Tsunade sends another – Ino, or someone. She works herself so hard, but she says she doesn't mind as long as she's saving lives. And…" here Naruto broke off, looking down again. Apparently there was something very interesting on the cuff of his trouser leg.

Sasuke felt an uncharacteristic twinge of unease. "And?" he prompted.

"Well… Sakura never really goes on missions with us any more," Naruto said slowly. "She… has other missions. Normally with one of the older shinobi. Genma, Yamato, or an ANBU squad leader. Never anyone she really knows."

"What kind of missions?" Sasuke asked sharply.

Naruto looked away gain, refusing to meet Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke felt like shaking him. He forced himself to remain calm. "Just tell me, Naruto," he said in a cold voice.

Naruto looked up at him. "Why do you want to know?" he asked bluntly, a somewhat bitter expression on his face.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't need to explain myself to you," he snapped.

Naruto looked as though he was going to protest, but he dropped the subject. "Fine," he said quietly, closing his eyes. "Sakura goes on, specifically, assassination and information-gathering missions. Missions where the targets are _male_," he spat.

Sasuke was stunned. Completely thrown over. Out of all the members of the Konoha Twelve? Sakura? The little, petite, pink-haired, green-eyed girl? She was… she had become a…

"How?" he asked bluntly.

Naruto looked away, unable to say anymore, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Tsunade had another kunoichi in mind for the task," Kakashi interjected. "Some girl from the year above. But Sakura caught wind of it and flipped. She said she wouldn't let anyone else suffer through that. She said she would take the job instead. She told Tsunade that if she ever tried to teach that art to a friend of hers, then she would leave the village. She probably would have lost that agument, though... if Danzo hadn't backed her up. He agreed with Sakura, said that a medic would be best for the mission."

Sasuke frowned to himself. From what he could remember of Danzo, he was a pompous shrew... but a clever pompous shrew. Why was he taking an interest in this matter, of all things? Realization struck him. From what he had heard of Sakura, read in the Bingo Books, was that she was the Hokage's right hand. With her gone, or broken from her experience... Tsunade would be weakened.

Whatever. It wasn't his business anymore.

"I've never seen her so angry," said Naruto blankly. "Or so broken, as when she came back from that first mission. And she wouldn't cry, Sasuke. She wouldn't cry for herself. You used to think she was weak. It took me a long time to realise that she's stronger than any of team seven."

Sasuke felt his throat constrict. He blinked, unused to so much emotion. His feelings had slowly been dulled over the time he had spent with Orochimaru. But this…

"Sakura doesn't talk about it," Kakashi said, ending the conversation and returning to his book.

Of course. That was Sakura. She wouldn't let another person suffer through what she could help them to avoid. Too soft-hearted for her own good. Sasuke felt a derisive smirk rise to his lips as he stared into the fire. This is why emotions made you weak. By Sakura trying to spare someone else pain, she had, herself, ended up suffering. All because of her pathetically soft emotions.

This is why he didn't need them. Emotions, feelings, they made you weak. Only once you had rid yourself of them could you become truly invincible.

And invincibility was what he needed. If he was to ever achieve his goal, to kill Itachi, he could have no feelings. Nothing to hold him back, only to fuel him. Anger, hatred were his friends. Any affection could only cause pain, as it had done before. Look at what had happened to Sakura because of her affection.

…

The next morning bloomed grey and crisp, the air cold and the sky clear.

Naruto was about the same as Sasuke remembered him being in the morning.

I.e. a pain in the arse.

"It's too early!" he moaned, rolling over and flinging a pillow at the amused Kakashi.

Kakashi cast his visible eye to the heavens.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered, to whatever higher power might be listening.

Whoever it was up there, they didn't appear to take any notice of him. Naruto didn't find a miraculous morning verve, anyway.

So, Sai set an ink bird flapping over his head.

And it still took ten minutes for him to be roused.

…

Sakura was woken the next morning by the stiff pain in her back. The fire had burned out now, but the ashes were warm, and they were burning into the sinew of her skin. The whip would never be forgotten. If... _when _she got out of here, there would always be a scar. She hadn't been able to heal the marks completely, only scab them over, and as she stretched, she felt the tough clotting crack.

Ow.

The door to her cell opened. Sakura started back, shying away from the harsh light against her sensitive eyes.

A tray clattered to the floor, and the door was slammed shut again.

Sakura groped in the encompassing darkness, her fumbling fingers finding a tough lump of bread. She bit into it, relishing the simple taste, not realising how hungry she had been. She tore into the bread with a ferocity, but groaned with nausea when it hit her empty stomach. It must have been a while since she had last eaten, at least.

Slowing down, she chewed the bread mechanically, thoughts running through her head.

In this cell, there was nothing. No light, no straw. Only the wall. The door would probably only be opened for a few seconds ever day to throw food in, then closed again. And every night…

Every night they would run down her chakra.

Sakura stopped chewing, and slowly lowered the bread into her lap, feeling the moisture leaking from her eyes.

There was no way out.

No way… yet.

_Naruto, _she pleaded silently. _Sai, Kakashi. Please come for me._

But she didn't hope. She didn't dare.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 - Progress

The door opened a crack, and Sakura raised her head, her eyes opening, automatically searching for the light source that was suddenly offered. Her tormentor stepped in, and her fuzzy vision lighted on his face, looking for something distinctive. Did she recognise him?

He smiled, a nasty glint to his expression. "Bath time."

And Sakura screamed as she was blasted with freezing cold water.

* * *

"Hurry up, Sai!" Naruto whined, looking over at him, a desperate expression to his face. "We're running out of time!"

"I can't!" Sai's voice was frustrated. Angry. "I can't understand why I can't do it, but every time something's wrong! And it's not juts because she's so ugly my brush doesn't want to produce such a hideous image. It just… it doesn't work!"

Kakashi regarded his 'team', a calm look in his eyes.

"It's strange," he remarked, in that curiously detached tone.

Sasuke rolled his obsidian eyes. "What's strange, Kakashi?" he smirked. "That the so-called artist hast trouble with pink and green?"

"No," remarked Kakashi casually. "I can understand that. And her skin's white; you forgot that."

"So what?" Sasuke asked, his empty tone expressing disinterest already.

"Sakura's boys are all coming to her rescue."

There was a silence in the camp.

"Eh, Kakashi-sensei? What you on about?" Naruto asked, his voice reflecting the puzzlement in his periwinkle eyes.

"Oh, didn't you know?" his ex-teacher asked. "That's how Sakura refers to you all when she's with her female friends. Her boys. I assume I'm included in that."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked suspiciously. "If she's around her girl friends…"

"He spied on them in the baths," Sasuke said tonelessly. "If he's still the pervert he used to be, that is. Though I doubt any amount of time could change those habits."

"No, of course I didn't," said Kakashi patiently. "I couldn't avoid Ino once she started talking."

"Beautiful?" Sai asked thoughtfully. "Yes, she is rather hard to quieten, isn't she? I wouldn't wish to be on a stealth mission with her."

"How you would be worthy for any form of mission is beyond me," Sasuke interjected, the familiar smirk playing across his features.

"And why Sakura would ever wish for a traitorous Uchiha to be included in a group with her is beyond _me_," Sai answered cheerfully.

In a second, Sasuke had his sharingan activated, slamming the unfortunate artist against the trunk of a tree, his blood-red eyes blazing, the three tomoe angry and outstanding.

"What exactly did you mean to imply about my family, _replacement?_" he spat, his anger transforming his face into an ugly mask.

But Sai didn't answer. He just stared at Sasuke's face, captivated by his eyes.

"There," he breathed. "There it is. Let me down, loser."

Uncertainly, Sasuke released his captive, his eyes still blazing. But he was curious.

Sai walked over to his sketch pad, and lifted it, flicking to a fresh page. Staring into Sasuke's eyes, he began to draw, his brush flickering across the paper in a captivating rhythm.

There it was. The reason that Sakura had been sad. The kekkai genkai of the Uchiha clan, the clan which had been slaughtered, setting things in motion for the pink-haired kunoichi to get her heart broken. The reason for her heartbreak was standing in front of him, and finally, seeing him full in the face, picturing Sakura coming face-to-face with the man she had loved, shrunk her. It broke her into pieces that were small enough to fit on his page.

Sai swiped his brush across the paper, a new, harsh line being put in place. His slanted eyes flickered backwards and forwards, between the beautiful Uchiha and the helf-completed image.

A shade here. A line there. A dash of that emerald green in her eyes. A light strand of rose falling across her shadowed face.

Then he added extra, so she would fit on the page.

The hopeless look in her eyes. The bitter line of her mouth. The slight frown across her brow.

But it wasn't enough.

He looked over the image, and at Sasuke, trying to find what was wrong, trying to find a way to break her into another piece. She still didn't fit.

Ah. There it was.

A tear, delicately sliding from her epic eyes, and another, pooling on her lower lid.

Sakura Haruno, smaller than life, on a piece of paper. And she fit. Just.

He raised his face, to meet with the onyx of the Uchiha.

And Sai smiled.

"I did it," he whispered.

* * *

"Those IDIOTS!!" Tsunade screamed, throwing the sake bottle into the wall with such force the wall cracked when the bottle smashed. "THEY SNEAK OUT OF KONOHA LIKE THEIVES IN THE NIGHT LOOKING FOR SAKURA!!"

A paperweight smashed through a window as it sailed through the air.

"AND NOW THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA DIE TOO, AND THEN WE'RE LEFT WITH A DISTINCT LACK OF TEAMS!!"

A pile of paperwork fell to the floor and fluttered wildly around the room.

"AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE VILLAGE FUNDS ARE GOING TO SUFFER, AND THEN WHEN THE AKATSUKI AND SOUND EVENTUALLY GET AROUND TO ATTACKING, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE, AND-"

"Lady Tsunade, don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?" Shizune interjected meekly, ducking as the desk was swung in her direction.

"SHUT UP SHIZUNE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! AH, WHY IN THE SEVEN HELLS DID I EVER ACCPET THIS DAMN JOB??!! TOO MUCH PAPERWORK AND NOT ENOUGH DRINK!!"

"Lady Tsunade-"

"AND NOW I HAVE IDIOTIC, PIG-HEADED, ARROGANT, SELF-SERVING, MALE PRICKS TO DEAL WITH!! WHY DON'T I JUST GIVE NARUTO THE BLOODY HOKAGE HAT, ALL THE LIBERATIONS HE'S TAKING?!"

"I don't think-"

Another bottle of sake was opened, and Tsunade waved it theatrically in the air, completely ignoring her second-in-command.

"WHY CAN'T THEY REBEL LIKE NORMAL TEENAGERS, HUH?! DRINK, SMOKE, STAY OUT 'TIL TWO A.M!! I DON'T CARE!! WHICH SELF-RIGHTEOUS GIT CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF NINJA TEENS??!!"

"LADY TSUNADE!" Shizune shouted.

Tsunade paused, mid-pull on her bottle. Shizune had just… shouted at her?

"Wha?" she asked irritably, the neck of the sake still in her mouth.

"He's worried about Sakura," Shizune said softly, "And so he's gone to do something about it. Sai and Kakashi followed him for the same reason. Don't tell me you wouldn't've done the same for Jiraiya."

At this, Tsunade slumped. All the energy seemed to drain out of her, and she quietly set the alcohol on the table.

"I know," she whispered. "I know. But… now… now we might lose all of them."

All around the room were signs of the Hokage's anger. Cracks in the floors and ceiling. Paperwork scattered. Broken bottles and lashings of sake stained the floor and furniture.

Shizune moved over and put her hand on the Hokage's shoulder.

Tsunade raised her weary face, and she seemed older than she ever had. Worn down by years of loss.

"Shizune," she rasped. "Get me another bottle of sake."

And, for once, Shizune complied without objection.

* * *

Her eyes opened, then closed again at the sudden intrusion of light.

He was back.

"What do you have for me today?" she spat, her tone heavy with contempt. "A whip banding irons? The iron maiden? Come up with something original. Go on, I dare you."

"Nope," came the voice, sounding bored. "Food."

Sakura's eyes snapped open, and her gaze alighted upon the plain bread roll and water beaker in front of her. She made to grab for it hurriedly, but stayed her hand, looking at the man suspiciously.

The man shrugged. "It's not poisoned," he said amiably. "It is drugged, but not poisoned."

Sakura pulled her hand back, raising a sceptical eye to her captor. "And what makes you think I'd eat drugged food?"

"You don't have a choice," he answered simply. "You're starving, injured, your chakra's almost gone. Lesser shinobi than you would have died by now. As it is, you're not far off. I hear kunoichi tend to hold on longer."

Sakura raised a lip and bared her teeth.

The man laughed. "Yeah, real scary. Whatever, babe. You know I'm right." He advanced towards her, kneeling down before her exhausted form. "You can feel it, can't you?" he whispered. "The darkness. It's creeping up on you, wrapping you in its warmth. And you're close to giving in. You feel it pulling down your eyelids, deadening your limbs, killing your hope."

Sakua felt icy tendrils of pure, internal agony begin to wind their way around her heart. _No,_ she thought vehemently, _it's not true. He's poisoning you, drugging you like the food. He's talking bullshit! _Her inner screamed at her. _He wants you to give in! don't give in to that slimy bastard!_

"Because you've longed, for years, to give in to that darkness." Her captor continued, oblivious – or perhaps relishing in – the struggle within her mind. "But you were too afraid. And now the time is getting closer, and your fear is evaporating alongside your hope. And every second you struggle, the clock is ticking. Time's running out. Tick tock. Tick tock."

And with the last of her energy, Inner Sakura slapped him. Hard.

He reeled back, pressing a surprised hand to his stinging cheek, his eyes wide open in disbelief. He shook himself, but not before Sakura saw the pain that she had inflicted in his countenance. She smiled a grim smile.

And he smiled back. A smile full of challenge, eyes narrowing in calculation.

"Hm. Who knows. Maybe you'll last longer than I thought." He leaned forward, and, in a quick motion, kissed her cheek, backpedalling before she had time to raise her hand against him again. "I look forward to seeing your battle. Later babe," he chuckled, waving to her and letting himself out of her prison.

She snarled at his form as he closed the door.

Twat.

Sakura turned back to survey the food he had left her. She was hungry. Hell, she was starving. But willingly, even knowingly, eating drugged food? Kakashi would have her hide for that.

But that was a point. Where was Kakashi? Naruto? Sai? Were they even coming for her?

No, she would not allow herself to think that. They were coming for her, she knew they were. She would not believe what her tormentor had told her. She would not die yet, and she would most certainly not give up the hope, the faith she had in her teammates.

But, thinking logically, she didn't know when they were coming. And the food… it wasn't poisoned. If it was poisoned, there would be no reason for him to tell her it was drugged, right? He'd just deny all accusations completely.

Before her logical mind could come up with any more assumptions, Sakura's stomach took over, and she wolfed the food down, chugging the water behind it.

And then she sat, and hoped peace would come soon.

* * *

"So, how do we use this powder stuff, then?" Naruto asked, his nose in Sai's pouch bag.

Kakashi slapped him off like a gnat. "I don't know. Pour it on the picture?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Too easy. If it worked that simply, then every shinobi nation would have its own supply."

Sai looked at his painting thoughtfully. "I think I know how it works," he suggested, but his voice was drowned out in Naruto's protests.

"We're not gonna get anything done by just sitting here!" the vessel cried, slapping his hand against the ground. "We need to find Sakura!"

"I think-" Sai began, but he was cut off again by Sasuke.

"How do you propose we start, dobe?" Sasuke asked coolly, heavy contempt in his voice. "We're just groping in the dark. Even the painter could have done better than you."

"I-"

"We're not going to get anything done by squabbling," Kakashi interjected, his porn book, for once, tucked away into his jounin vest. "And I belive Sai knows what to do, don't you, Sai?"

Relieved, Sai nodded. "I think I do," he said. "Sakura told me that the powder was specifically for spiritual persons. However, she believes there to be a strong link between the spiritual power used and chakra – a link which she is alone in even considering. But, in order to use the powder, four priests or priestesses must pour their essence into it until it glows. The four priests must have a link, a bond with the person whom they are trying to locate."

Naruto pounded the air with his fist. "Hell yeah! We're sorted! Dattebyo! Sakura, here we come!"

"Actually," Kakashi drawled, "I believe there is a problem."

"Eh?" Naruto stopped, mid-celebration, to glare quizzically at his former sensei. "There's no problem."

"There is," Kakashi said mildly. His visible eye fixed on Sasuke, and the Uchiha knew he was baiting him. Slippery twit.

"Sasuke's broken all bonds, remember?" Kakashi stated.

Naruto's face fell abruptly. "Does that mean we'll have to go back to Konoha?" he asked, after a pause. He looked up, eyes swimming with what Sasuke joltingly realised were tears. "But the longer we wait, the more chance that Sakura is…" he bit his lip and looked down, unable to say it.

Sasuke looked away, jaw tightening, neck muscles straining. Was he really going to go back on all that training, all that careful work, the blankness, the emptiness, he had spent years perfecting? Was he going to deny that, and admit that maybem just possibly…

There was something still there? A bond he had left un-severed?

Aw, hell.

Without looking round, he thrust out his hand, the tendons wrenching around his muscles, so stiff was he holding his hand.

"Do it," he growled, channelling his chakra into his hand.

"Eh?" Naruto looked up. "But, Teme-"

"I said do it!" Sasuke half-yelled. "Before I change my mind."

Without questioning, Sai poured the sand-like substance into the hand of the Uchiha prodigy, and Sasuke felt the hum of chakra around him. When he felt hands on top of his own, he turned. And maybe, just maybe, he was hoping for something to happen, for something to show…

But nothing did.

Naruto was the first to drop his hand, his expression… empty.

"There goes our last hope," he intoned blankly. "We'll never get Sakura back now. There's nothing to find her with."

Kakashi also removed his hand, and placed it upon Naruto's shoulder. "Don't give up," he murmured to his former student. "Remember what I said? Those who break the rules of the ninja world are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. I don't believe…"

But his talking faded to a background hum for both Sasuke and Sai, the original and the replacement, as the both concentrated intently on continually pouring chakra.

Sai, for one of the first bonds he had ever created. The first friends he had ever made. His first opportunity to feel. He would not give up, would not let Sakura go. Not after all she had done for him, all she had given him. In his own peculiar way, she was special to him, like Shin had been. And he would do anything, anything at all, to save her.

And Sasuke… he didn't even know why he continued. But what he did know was that, as weak as he had told Sakura she was, she was strong enough to hold on until she was saved, and if she died, then it would be his fault. And that, he told himself, was not a burden he felt like carrying.

The powder began to glow. It rose, and took shape, alighting briefly on the image of the rosette kunoichi.

Kakashi broke off what he was saying to Naruto to watch, stunned, as the powder changed.

The small pile expanded, a glimmering outline in the murk of the evening light taking shape. Limbs appeared, a smooth, lithe body, rippling with muscles. A great head completed the arch of the back of the figure, curled on the floor. A tail began to carve itself into existence, a faint glitter accompanying it as it rose into the air, already attached the long, thin body. Eyes alighted themselves into the face, large, yellow cats' eyes. Lips were bared back into a snarl, ears flattened against the fur of the head.

A white tiger stood in their midst.

* * *

Miles away, Sakura gasped, as she felt something ripped from her being. Frantically she searched in her mind, but the thing that made her strong was gone.

Her Inner Sakura had abandoned her.

* * *

Naruto started to move towards the great tiger, but Kakashi held him back. "Careful Naruto," he muttered. "This isn't some kind of obedient summoning. Do you feel that chakra? This thing is strong, and she's not going to take orders."

The big cat stalked towards them, her movements deliberate and slow, showing them what she was doing, and warning them not to run from her.

She nuzzled the front of Naruto's jacket.

And then she turned, and, with longer, more loping steps, moved into the distance.

And the ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves followed her.

* * *

Sakura was alone.

* * *

Ok, let me know if I've tried to cram too much in. i was kinda excited when writing this one, so I hope it turned out ok!

Thanks for reading!

Libra Sorceress xx


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 - Issues

She didn't know how long she had been there. Day, night, it meant nothing to her anymore. The only passage of time was indicated by infrequent and meagre meals.

But an indication of just how much time had passed came to her early one 'morning', just before he came back to see her.

Two weeks, it must have been, conscious and unconscious. As she could tell by the warm blood trickling down the inside of her thighs.

Swearing softly to herself, she attempted to shift so that her humiliation did not become public knowledge to her tormenter. Eventually she seated herself awkwardly with her legs curled behind her, so that he couldn't see. But he would know, afterwards, as the pool of viscous blood would begin to grow.

That wasn't the only problem. Along with the searing agony she felt from her still-healing wounds, the cramps in her stomach and along her back made her feel like keening for the soft but constant pain.

And her Inner was gone.

Sakura didn't know how to explain it. Sure, she sometimes had doubts about her schizophrenic side, but ultimately, she could rely on it. It would always be there for her. Another half, a secret strength she could rely on. But then, suddenly, with no reason, it had gone. And now, Sakura really was alone. She was tired, she was empty, and she was on her own.

Why hadn't Naruto come for her yet? Why was she still here?

* * *

The big white tiger padded ahead of them, taking her steps with the greatest of care, as the four shinobi followed in its wake. No matter how fast the four ninja moved, how slow the big cat seemed to walk, it always stayed ahead of them.

"Oi, Teme, how is the paedophilic snake treating you, anyway?"

"Shut up, dobe."

At this, the big cat snapped her head back and growled, glaring at Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and raised a corner of his lips, sending back his own growl. The big cat stalked up to him and butted his stomach harshly with her head.

The company stopped moving. Three pairs of eyes were drifting back and forth between Sasuke and the big cat.

"I guess that this means that the tiger won't take any of your whining, Sasuke," Kakashi said mildly.

Sasuke was almost sure that the copy-nin was grinning behind his mask.

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned. "Take that, Sasuke-teme!"

The big cat growled again.

"I think that she won't take any comments, dickless," said Sai in his usual empty tone.

Curiously, the tiger made no move after Sai attacked.

"Hmm…" Kakashi murmured. "I wonder why she didn't go after Sai?"

"She?" asked Naruto, puzzled.

Kakashi just levelled him a long stare with his visible eye. "Yes, Naruto, she." The teacher sighed, and frowned slightly, attempting to tame the thoughts running through his head. "So, she intervened to stop Sasuke and Naruto from going after each other, but ignored Sai's insult to Naruto? Why would she do that? Unless she was aware that that was just the way Sai is, and that his comments don't really mean anything, but that the malice from Sasuke to Naruto and the anger from Naruto to Sasuke was real? But how would a tiger know that? Hmm…"

And he pulled out his orange Icha-Icha novel.

The big cat turned her head round once more. With measured steps, she ambled back to his, and butted the book with her head. Looking him straight in the eye, she raised a great, white paw and pushed the book away from his hand.

"Interesting…" Kakashi murmured, sliding his book back into his jacket, and stroking the tiger's head.

"What does it mean?" Naruto asked, clearly puzzled.

"Don't know," Kakashi said cheerfully, and gestured ahead to begin moving once more.

* * *

The door to her cell opened once more, and he entered. Sakura didn't even bother to raise her head; instead, she remained staring at the ground, in abject misery and pain.

"Oh dear," his voice said, sounding somewhat surprised. "I didn't anticipate the little problems that come with holding women captive. I should probably have thought of that beforehand. Are you in pain?"

Sakura raised her head, and bared her teeth at him. "Like you care," she snarled. "Isn't that part of your plan? Keep me in pain, so I keep my chakra low."  
The man laughed. "My dear, I am afraid you are missing the point slightly," he said gaily. "Yes, it is an effective method of disabling an opponent, but menstrual cramps are entirely uncalled for."

She raised two fingers.

"Now, that's hardly polite, is it?" he said jovially.

"Go… to… hell." She hissed between her teeth.

He laughed. "Such sweet words from such a pretty mouth," he grinned. "Would you like me to remove your 'woman problems' for you?"

She looked up at him incredulously. "And just how do you propose to do that?" she asked acidly.

He shrugged. "Simple," he replied. "The same way you do." And he advanced forwards, his hand glowing the green of a medical ninja.

She had to stop herself from letting out a sigh of relief when the pain suddenly stopped.

"A complex jutsu, this," he captor mentioned. "It can… delay… a woman's… time for a while. Halt it, as it were. Until a mission is completed, etc. I've never actually put it into practice before."

"What's the point of halting it?" Sakura asked through her teeth. "You're just going to kill me anyway, aren't you?"

"How innocent you are," the man murmured. "You really have no idea of what's going to happen to you, do you?"

"No. Care to enlighten me?"

"No, I don't think so, my dear. You'll find out in due course." He stood back to survey her critically. "You know, I preferred you with short hair." He pulled out a kunai.

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, her heart rate speeding up in a panic. _He was going to kill her._ But, where this rush of adrenaline would normally sharpen her reactionsand clear her mind, all she felt through her starved body was dizziness as she struggled with her bonds.

"Oh, stop that," the man said irritably. "I'm not going to hurt you. Well, not yet anyway."

And with his raised weapon, he sheaved off a section of her pink hair. "Much better," he murmured, continuing with his work.

After he had finished, and Sakura's rose locks were spread over the floor, he took her chin in her hand, and looked directly at her. "You shouldn't hide your face so much, little Sakura," he smirked at her. "I always wondered why you let it grow back. You look so much cuter, so much more womanly, with short hair."

The intent of his innocent statements were clear. He was trying to communicate something… trying to tell her that…

_He knew her._

Sakura's next question was directed with a deadly malice towards the man in front of her.

"_Who are you?_"

The man chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know," he said amiably.

The he stood from his crouching position, and ruffled her now-short hair. "See ya later sweetheart," he grinned, striding towards the door, and opening it with a tiny wave. "I'll be back tonight in my normal capacity. Sleep for now; we don't want you wasting too much energy, do we?"

And he shut the door, once again plunging her into complete blackness.

* * *

Night was falling. It was dark when Kakashi and his rag-tag group stopped.

"I think it's time we set up camp," he said decidedly.

"But, Kakashi-" Naruto began heatedly, but was stopped as his sensei held up a hand.

"No, Naruto. We have been travelling, going after Sakura, for two days now."

"Yeah, and we must be getting closer, sensei!" Naruto streamed urgently.

"I agree with you, but we will need our strength tomorrow."

"Why?!"

"What happened to all our teams after the third day of their search?"

Naruto drooped.

"They went missing," Sai completed in his usual, emotionless voice.

He then looked down in surprise as the tiger butted her head into his stomach.

"Hello, kitty," he said, sounding confused. There was nothing in his books on how to confer with intelligent felines!

The big cat shook her head, her eyes on Sai intently.

"No? No what?" Naruto asked.

The big cat swivelled her head to Kakashi, then Naruto, and then finally Sai. The three looked puzzled.

Sasuke heaved a huge sigh.

"You idiots," he told them. "She's saying that there will be no attack tomorrow. She's looking at you three because of your conversation."

"How does she know?" Naruto asked, his blonde head shaking in confusion.

At this, the big cat left Sai and padded over to Sasuke.

"Something to do with… me, apparently." Sasuke said emotionlessly.

Kakashi snapped his fingers. "They would be on the lookout for Konoha ANBU, or something," he exclaimed. "Having Sasuke – a missing-nin – with us, immediately puts us out of the danger category. They won't clock that we're looking for Sakura!"

The tiger shook her head, a gesture gone unnoticed by all but Sasuke, and he chose to say nothing.

"That's assuming the tiger isn't lying," Sai pointed out mildly.

"I think it's one of those impossible things, Sai," said Kakashi. "I doubt felines can lie."

And so they set up camp for the night.

"I'll take the first watch," Sasuke informed the rest of his 'team', once they had rolled out the packs and set the fire going.

"Ok," Naruto moaned, lying down on his pack, and stretching stiff arms behind his head.

Kakashi also nodded his agreement.

Sai, however, frowned. "I'm not sure I want to trust the traitor as I'm sleeping."

Sasuke confronted him at once. The nickname 'traitor' really riled him. Almost as if he was the same as his brother.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, replacement."

"You took everyone else's without complaint."

"You are not making me like you anymore her, Sai… if that even is your real name."

"It's not. I've had so many I lose track. And who said I wanted your approval, traitor?"

"That's enough!" Kakashi barked, coming between the two teens. "You can have your battle of testosterone another day, I don't care, but not while we're in potentially hostile territory. You will _both_ take the first watch, and the minute you decide to take your pent-up hormones out on each other, I will personally nail you to opposite trees!"

Sasuke was the first to turn away. "Hn."

"Thank you. Sai?"

"I will stand guard with the traitor, as you instructed, Kakashi-sensei," said Sai, in his usual tone.

Sasuke scowled.

* * *

Sakura raised her head, as the door to her cell opened once more.

Surprise, surprise. He had no weapon tonight.

"What do you want?" she spat. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

"Well now, that's not a very nice thing to say, is it?" he asked her, tutting.

With one smooth motion, he lunged forward, and grabbed a chunk of her now-short hair. Tugging her head up to his, he put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered to her.

"As for what I want… I want to hear you scream."

But she didn't scream. Not as his fist fell.

The first time.

The second time.

The third.

* * *

Sasuke and Sai sat, facing each other, across the fire. Unblinkingly they stared into the face of their opponent, neither of them batting so much as an eyelid.

Had Naruto been awake, he would have probably been egging on the staring contest.

A noise interrupted them.

It was the tiger. Her ears were flat against her head, and she was growling.

"What is it?" Sai asked, looking in her direction.

Her head swivelled between the two. Finally, she got up and stalked over there. shoving Sai with her big, black nose, he pushed him towards the opposite side of the fire.

Sai went with her rough ministrations, walking towards the Uchiha heir.

Once he was beside Sasuke, who looked at him with distaste, the white tiger stalked over to where Sasuke was sat, and shoved him towards Sai.

"Why should I?" Sasuke asked, ignoring her.

The answering growl made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

"Fine," he muttered, and moved slightly closer to the emotionless artist.

The big cat stood in front of the two of them, the backs facing the fire.

"Happy now?" Sasuke asked irritably.

The big cat purred, and ambled forwards, rubbing her big head against their legs, all the while still purring.

"Who are you?" Sai asked quizzically, and the big cat pulled back. She cocked her head to one side, and looked at the two of them. If she had been human, she might have been laughing.

"You're not a real tiger," Sasuke confirmed.

She shook her head, still watching. Then she nosed towards Sai's pack.

Sai walked over to where his belongings were stationed. With his slim artist's fingers, he dove inside, pulling out item by item.

His paintbrushes.

No.

His food pack.

No.

His clothing.

No.

His sketch pad.

Yes.

Nudging it with her big head, the tiger looked at Sai. He opened it, and displayed it to her.

She shook her head again, and he turned the page.

The horizon. The sea. The forest around Konoha. The park. Random pictures of scenery wer flipped over, until he came to the picture he had drawn of his team. The tiger cocked her head once more at this, but again, shook it. Not that one.

He continued to flip through, until he came to the last page. The latest image he had drawn. There the big tiger stopped him, gently, pressing her face against his hand.

Sasuke came over to see where the feline had made the artist stop. And stared.

The cat laid her head against the image, and her big eyes flashed emerald in the firelight.

"Sakura…?"

* * *

Ugh, guys, I am so sorry! Schools been a apin in the patooty, and I literally got this chapter written and the internet boogered!!

Ok, so this chapter is rushed, sloppy, and undescriptive. The characters are wrong, and the scenes are pretty empty. Sorry!!!!!

Libra xx

P.s can anyone think of a better title for this story? I am unimpressed with the original...


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